Improved brick-machine



UNITED STATES PATENT rtree.

JAMES HOIOHKISS, OF SPRINGFIELD, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO H IMSELF AND EZRABUSS, OF SAME PLACE.

IMPROVED BRICK-MACHINE.

I Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 53,223, dated March13, 1866.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J AMES Horcnkrssof Springfield, in the county ofClarke and State of Ohio, have invented an Improved Combined BrickMaking and Pressing' Machine; and I do hereby declare that the followingis a full and exact description thereof, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, making part of this specification- Figure 1 beinga top view of the machine; Fig. 2, a side view thereof; Fig. 3, a frontview of the same; Fig. 4, a top view of one of the eccentrics by whichthe pressing-toggles are actuated; Fig. 5, a side view of one set of thepressing-toggles, and showing their connection with other parts of themachine; Fig. 6, a vertical radial section of a part of the mold-wheelthrough one of the followers; Fig. 7, a central vertical section of thepug-mill; Fig. S, ahorizontal section,on a reduced scale, through thelower part of the pug-mill, and showing a plan ofthe mold-wheelinconnection therewith; Fig. 9, a vertical radial section, on a reducedscale, of a portion of the mold-wheel, and showing, in elevation, thescraper over the mold-wheel and the manner of its arrangement; Fig. 10,a transverse section of the scraper.

Like letters designate corresponding parts in all of the gures.

I employ a pug-mill, H, in which the clayis tempered, and under thisturns a mold-wheel, G, in which the bricks are both formed and pressed.These main parts and all their adjuncts are mounted in a suitable frame,A. The power is rst applied to the vertical shaft C of the pug-mill, andmotion is transmitted therefrom by a cog-wheel, B, and pinion D toanother vertical shaft, E, by means of which the mold-wheel G is movedround on its shaft F, and by which the toggles M M and N Nfor pressingthe bricks are actuated.

In thepug-millH the usual tempering-arms b b are secured to the shaft C,and near the bottom four (more or less) broad transversely oblique orinclined arms, a a, are attached to the shaft their inclination being inthe direction that will cause a downward pressure on the clay as theyare revolved. By this action the clay is filled evenly and compactly inthe molds. At the same time their inclined surfaces push forward stonesand other obstructions, and by their centrifugalV action work them tothe periphery of the pug-mill. In connection with this action of theinclined arms a side chamber, c, Figs. l and S, extends from thepug-mill at the bottom over the exit path of the molds, substantially asshown. This chamber receives all the obstructions from the pug-mill bythe action of the inclined arms, as above set forth. The chamber isclosed by a block, K, (generally made ot' wood,) which is held in placeby a wooden pin, 7c, passing down through the cover' of the chamber andthe block. Ordinarily this wooden piu will hold the block in thechamber; butif a stone or other obstruction gctspartially into one ofthe molds and is carried forward by the moldwheel the wooden pin breaksand allows the closing-block to be driven out instead of stopping themachine or breaking any of the parts thereof. The chamber c also holdsaquantity of clay driven with force therein, which further compacts theclay in the molds.

The brick-molds, just after emerging from under the chamber c, passunder a scraper, L, the form and arrangementof which are indicated inFigs. 9 and l0. It has a sharp lower edge, l, which scrapesallsupertluous clay from the mold-wheel and smooths the upper surface ofthe bricks. It rests upon the moldwheel, being 4held in place bystandards of the frameA, and it is pressed down upon the moldwheel withthe required degree of pressure by a lever, 0, pivoted at one end to theframe and at the other end held down by a weight, d, which may be variedin size or in position on the lever to adjust the pressure ofthescraper. The pressure of the bricks is accomplished while yet in theirmolds, after they pass under the scraper L, by means of twotoggle-joints or pairs of toggles, M M and N N, the former being locatedabove the mold-wheel and forcing a pressure-plate, Z, down upon the topsof the bricks in the mold, and the latter lo cated below the mold-wheeland pressing a movable or hinged step or track, S, upward against thefollowers. rIhe two act exactly or nearly at the same time and compressthe bricks to any'extent required, and that this may be varied atpleasure the bearingstep n, on whichlthe toggles N N rest, is madeadjustable up and down bya screw, p, orits equivalent.

The adjacent bearing-surfaces of the toggles are formed in the arcs ofcircles, so as to roll on each other and prevent friction at the joint 5ployed at pleasurefor the purpose. The togglejoints are alternately bentand straightened for producing the pressure by means of eccentrics Q Q,or their equivalents, secured on the revolving shaft E, and ofconnecting-rods P P, extending from the eceentrics to the toggle jointsto which they are jointed, as at s, Fig. 5.

While the pressure ot' the bricks is taking place the mold-wheel G isrequired to be at rest; and I provide for an intermittent movement ofthe said mold-wheel to suit this purpose. I effect this intermittentmovement by means of a reciprocating pawl, It, which acts against a setof teeth or projections, g g, on the periphery of the mold-wheel equalin number to that of the molds in the mold- Wheel, and atcorresl'ionding intervals. The reciprocating motion is given to thedrivingpawl It by a crank, T, Fig. 2, of the revolv ing shaft E. Sincethis pawl acts in a horizontal plane, it is kept pressed against themold-wheel by a spring, t', and friction-roller h, which bears againstthe pawl.

The pawl R is arranged to slide in sleeves r r by the side of a crankwrist-bar, U, and it is coupled thereto by a wooden pin, t, passingthrough both the pawl and the wrist-bar. This wooden pin is strongenough to hold to drive the mold-wheel round in its ordinary motion; butwhen a stone or other obstruction gets into a mold, so that powerapplied would otherwise break some part, the pin breaks and the motionof the mold-Wheel ceases, so that the obstruction can be removed beforethe work continues The movements of the pawl R and the eccen'- trics Q Qare so arranged that the pressure of the toggles is produced when thepawl is drawing back and the mold-wheel is at rest, and the pressuremust be completed and the toggles must begin to bend and relieve thepressure before the pawl begins to move the mold-wheel. In order toadjust these movements to one another, if necessary, the eccentrics Q Qare made adjustable on the shaft E by set-screws g, Fig. 4.

The movable step or track S, which is raised and lowered by thetoggle-joint N N, is hinged at o to the stationary track I, upon whichthe mold-followers J J pass after the pressure of the bricks to liftthem out of the molds. This track is an inclined plane of easy ascent,and gradually lifts the followers J J up even. with the upper surfaceofthe mold-wheel, so that the bricks will be entirely raised out of themolds. They are then tilted oft' on the m old-wheel upon their edges bymeans ofthe following device A bar or pair of arms, X, is hingedvertically to a projecting part of the frame, so that its movable endwill be located over the proper part of the mold-wheel to operate on thebricks at 'the time required; and to this end a plate, V, is pivoted ato, and projects inward across the track of the bricks as they arecarried round by the mold-wheel. When the bricks strike this plate theyare tilted thereby upon their edges, and in the act of tilt-ing them theplate is turned on its pivot e, so that then it rests on the top edge ofthe bricks, the bar X rising` to allow the movement. Then as the bricksare carried farther round the plate slides off, leaving the bricks ontheir edges, so as to be readily grasped by the hands for removal.

In order to insure the turning down ofthe plate V to the proper positionfor operating upon the next bricks in succession, a bent lever, Y, ispivoted to the bar X, and is so constructed and arranged, in connectionwith projecting pins j j at regular intervals on the periphery of themold-wheel, as to have its lower end struck by the said pins, therebycausing its upper end to turn down the plate V.

The block to which the bar X is pivoted is adjustable on the frame A bymeans of a setscrew, x, or its equivalent, in order to adjust thetilting plate to the exact position required.

After the bricks are tilted from the moldfollowers the track Iterminates or declines to allow the followers to descend into theirmolds again. In order to insure the descent of the followers into themolds before they are carried under the pug-mill again, so as to preventbreakage of any part or injury to the cloth covering of the followers, afriction roller, W, pressed downward by a spring of sufficient strength,is located in the proper position, substantially as shown in Figs. l and3.

Each follower J is suspended in the molds by means of a notch or slot,e, Figs. 6 and 9, in the outer end thereof, and a pin, f, or itsequivalent, extending into the same through the periphery of themold-wheel. This arrangement sustains the followers at the desiredheight in the molds, so that no track is needed for them to run on,except where they are to be raised in the molds to expel the bricks.Thus the expense of additional track and the friction thereon areobviated.

This method of pressing the bricks enables Ame to form hollow bricks, orto make any gure, indented or in relief, on one or more surfacesthereof, as indicated at o, Figs. 1 and 6.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is-

l. The combination of the continuously-revolving inclined arms a a inthe pug-mill with the intermittently-moving mold-wheel Gr, substantiallyas herein specified.

2. The side chamber, 0, extending from the pug-mill over the exit-pathof the mold-Wheel, for the purpose set forth.

3. The removable block K, closing the outer end. of the chamber o andheld. therein by the wooden or frangible pin k, for the purposespecified.

4. The arrangement of the scraper L, with its lever O and adjustableWeight d, substantially as set forth.

5. The combination of the two togglejoints or sets of toggles M M and NN, actuated substantially as described, in combination with theintermittently-moving mold-Wheel Gr, for pressing the bricks While yetin the formingmolds, substantially as herein specified.

6. The combined arrangement of the adj ustable toggle-moving ecoentricsQ Q and of the crank T and pawl R, for giving an intermittent motion tothe mold-wheel, substantially as herein described.

7. The ,combination of the crank-Wrist U, pawl R sliding thereon, andthe frangible pin t, for-the purpose set forth.

8. The combined arrangement of the projections g g on the periphery ofthe mold-Wheel,

the pawl R, and spring-pressure roller 7L, for the purpose specified.

9. The hinged or movable track S under the mold-Wheel, in combinationwith the adjustable toggles N N beneath it, as herein specified.

l0. The device for tilting the bricks edge- Wise from the followers uponthe mold-Wheel, arranged and operating substantially as herein setforth.

ll. The arrangement of the spring-roller W, in combination with themold-followers J J, for the purpose specified.

12. The suspension of the followers J J in their molds by means ot' thenotch or slot e in each and the pins ff, or the equivalent thereof,substantially as herein set forth.

The above specification of my improved com,- bined brick making andpressing machine signed by me this 12th day of December, 1865.

JAMES HOTCHKISS.

Witnesses J As. L. TORBERT, EDW. P. TORBERT.

